The Boat Races, held on the 7th April on the River Thames and broadcast live to millions of viewers on the BBC, headlined a packed Lent term sporting calendar. And the Light Blues did not disappoint, winning a clean sweep of all four races – the men’s Blues, the women’s Blue’s, the men’s reserves and the women’s reserves – for the second year in a row.

Indeed, there were plenty of other notable successes for Cambridge sport over the course of the term. The footballers enjoyed a glorious day at the Hive in North London for the Varsity matches, with the women Blues beating their Oxford rivals 3-1 before the men’s blues won their game on penalties. The women’s rugby union team, meanwhile, built on their Varsity victory in Michaelmas by winning the BUCS Midlands 1A division, finishing the season with a 100% win record. The women’s lacrosse Blues enjoyed a similarly successful season, winning the BUCS Premier South division without losing a game, and winning a thrilling Varsity match against Oxford 9-8. Special mention must also go to the men’s hockey blues, who won the Varsity match 3-2 as well as finishing top of the BUCS South B division.

There was also great success for Cambridge in some of the lesser-played sports. The men’s badminton blues, for example, won the BUCS Midlands 2B division, a league also won by the male basketball blues. The boxing club, meanwhile, can be proud of their efforts this season, not only winning the annual “Town vs Gown” fixture but also the 112th Varsity fixture. Finally, the mixed American Football Team performed well enough in the BUCS 2A South-East division to qualify for the play-offs, but succumbed to a 22-16 defeat at the hands of Royal Holloway.

At the other end of the spectrum, the netball Blues endured a very difficult season, finishing bottom of the BUCS Midlands 1A division having failed to win a league game before losing the Varsity match 47-26. Likewise, the men’s rugby league blues will be disappointed to have finished bottom of the BUCS Midlands 1A division, while they also lost the Varsity match for the tenth season in a row, suffering a 44-10 defeat at Grange Road. The women’s hockey Blues similarly have much to work on ahead of the new season, after finishing bottom of the BUCS South A division and losing the Varsity match. The male fencing blues will also be disappointed to have lost their Varsity match for the first time in five years, and will be hoping to improve their BUCS form next season, as they too finished bottom of the BUCS Premier South division.

“The boxing club can be proud of their efforts this season, not only winning the annual “Town vs Gown” fixture but also the 112th Varsity fixture”

There was no shortage of college action either, culminating in Lent Bumps. On the men’s side, Lady Margaret Boat Club’s stranglehold on head of the river status was finally broken, as Caius bumped their way to the head of the river. On the women’s side, Newnham took over from Jesus as head of the river, ending Jesus’s two-year stay at the head of the river.

Rugby and football cuppers, meanwhile, reach their conclusion at the beginning of this term, with reigning men’s champions Fitzwilliam taking on Pembroke in the football final on the 10 May at Grange Road, while Caius will take on Downing in the Rugby Cuppers final on the 27th April. Grange Road will also play host to the American Football Varsity match on the 3rd May

As the football and rugby cuppers draw to a close, cricket Cuppers will begin in earnest, and Fitzwilliam will be hoping to win the competition for the fourth year running. The other big college sporting event of term is May Bumps, where Lady Margaret M1 will be out for revenge after their defeat in Lent Bumps, while the women’s section will be similarly hotly-contest with Jesus and Newnham currently occupying first and second position in the May’s rankings.

Inevitably, however, the term-card will be dominated by the two traditional summer sports: cricket and tennis. The 2019 Blues tennis matches will take place on the 29th and 30th of June at Moor Park Golf Club, with the men’s squad hoping to retain their crown and the women’s squad looking to avenge last year’s defeat. Both squads can approach the Varsity games with confidence, having performed well in their respective BUCS divisions over the winter: the men’s Blues finished second in the competitive Midlands 1A division, while the women’s Blues finished third.

The cricketers, meanwhile, will also be preparing for their Varsity matches against Oxford at Lord’s, while the men’s first team will also be hoping for a successful season in the BUCS Midlands 3A division, starting the season on the 8th May away at Oxford Brookes. The male and female MCCU teams - comprised of the most talented players from both Cambridge University and Anglia Ruskin University - will also be taking part in BUCS, with the men in the National Premier Division and the women in the Midlands 1A division.

Indeed, the Cambridge MCCU men’s team played three pre-season first-class matches against professional English county sides over the Easter holidays, losing to Essex and drawing with Nottinghamshire and Worcestershire. The game against Essex was particularly noteworthy for the participation of Sir Alastair Cook, England’s all-time leading run-scorer in Test cricket and the England cricketing legend did not disappoint, scoring an unbeaten 150 at Fenner’s. However, the bowling performance of Cambridge University’s Karthik Suresh - with figures of 5-44 - against Worcestershire was a highlight for the University, and gives cause for optimism ahead of the season.

So, much to celebrate in the world of Cambridge sport and much also to look forward to as we enter the infamous Exam Term. As the term drudges on and the revision grows ever more tiresome, what better way to unwind than by heading off to watch some of Cambridge’s finest athletes in action?